


Confirmation

by scullyslash_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Angst, Case Fic, F/F, Romance, X-file
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-06-08
Updated: 2002-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-20 03:46:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11327979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scullyslash_archivist/pseuds/scullyslash_archivist
Summary: Dana and Monica work their first case together after becoming a couple.





	Confirmation

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [ScullySlash](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Scully_Slash_Archive), which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works.. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [ScullySlash's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/scullyslash/profile).

  
Confirmation

### Confirmation

#### by Tiffany

Date: Thursday, June 06, 2002 10:08 PM 

Title: "Confirmation"  
Author: Tiffany  
Email:  
Archive: Sure, just let me know where it's going. Classification: X-File/Romance/Angst, Scully/Reyes, Slash 

Rating: 1st part is NC-17 (is clearly marked); the rest is PG-13 to R 

Spoilers: Slight reference to Scully's chip, a few other mentionings, but nothing serious. 

Summary: Dana and Monica work their first case together after becoming a couple. 

Disclaimer: They aren't mine!!! I wish they were, though! Dana Scully, Monica Reyes, John Dogget, and any other X-Files characters used in this story are property of Chris Carter, 10-13 and Fox. 

Author's Notes: I wanted to thank everyone who sent my feedback after the last story, you're all wonderful. If I didn't reply personally, I'm sorry, but my email is stupid sometimes. :P This is the sixth story in a series of Scully/Reyes stories. The First story is "I'll be Here" and the most recent one, right before this one was "It Could Be Love" You'll want to read those to fully understand where the characters are coming from.   
  


* * *

"Confirmation" 

  * NC-17 (This part is not essential to the story if you wish to skip it!) *-*-* 



Friday, 6:45 pm 

Monica walked up to Dana's apartment door and saw a note on it. "Monica" it said, taped shut. She tore off the note and opened it, wondering what this was all about. "Monica, come in, put your stuff down in the living room and come straight back to the bedroom. I have a surprise for you." Monica immediately felt wetness flood her sensitive parts. 'It seems as if Dana Scully's playful side is coming out.' She smiled and walked into the apartment. 

Making her way back to the bedroom, Monica felt her stomach curl up in anticipation. Earlier this week on the phone, Dana had told her she wanted to prove that she is a quick learner when it comes to bedroom antics. She stepped into the room and found it lit with dozens of candles. "Wow..." she let a breath out. Then she saw Dana. She'd been sitting out of sight in the corner chair of the bedroom. 

When Dana stood up, Monica's jaw dropped. She was wearing a black lace teddy. It was a fairly modest one, but it highlighted and squeezed just the right areas of her body. "Wow...Dana...you look...wow." The object of Monica's affection sauntered over and Monica knew she was in for it. Dana Scully was the sexiest woman she'd ever laid eyes on. 

Dana was enjoying Monica's reaction to the outfit she had on. She'd bought it earlier in the week when Monica had been out of town. 'She's stunned...I've made Monica Reyes speechless...' Walking up behind her, Dana placed a hand on Monica's hip and leaned toward her ear. Ever so softly she whispered, "I'm going to make you scream my name tonight Monica. You're going to come so hard that you will not be able to walk tomorrow morning." She stepped back and watched as Monica's eyes got wide. 

Without saying a word, Dana began undressing the woman in front of her. She went slowly, seductively, undoing one button, one zipper at a time. After Monica's upper body was unclothed, Dana kissed her way down to her pants, stopping for a minute to suckle on Monica's hard nipples. Monica couldn't stop herself from moaning. Finally, five minutes later, Monica was completely undressed and Dana guided her to lie on the bed. 

Sitting up on her knees, Dana surveyed her handiwork. "You are so beautiful, so wonderful." Then, she decided it was time to begin her attack. Lowering herself, she put an open-mouth kiss on Monica's stomach. Her hands and mouth drifted all over Monica's body, from her neck down to her ankles, except for the one place that Monica needed her to touch. 

When Dana's tongue touched the inside of her thighs, Monica nearly jumped. "Please Dana!" Dana proceeded to lick nearly every inch of her inner thighs and Monica couldn't stand it anymore. "Dana...God, please I need you..." 

Dana sat back, causing Monica to groan at the loss of contact. "What Monica? Tell Me. Tell me what you want. What do you need?" 

Monica thought she was going to lose it. "I-I want you to touch me Dana. Please." 

Dana ran her hands over Monica's stomach, then drifted to the patch of hair at the juncture of her legs. "Is this where you want me to touch Monica?" 

"Uh...yes, please..." 

Monica's voice trailed off as Dana slipped two fingers into her. It was heaven, pure sensuality. Dana continued to pump her fingers inside Monica for a moment, but then stopped. "Oh..." Monica was confused. Why did she stop? Then she realized...Dana was bending down, and within seconds her lips closed over her clit. "Ahhh..." Monica bucked, trying to control herself, but having trouble doing so. "Feels so good sogoodsogood..." She realized she was talking out loud. 

Dana licked up and down Monica's wet, throbbing skin before burying her tongue inside her. When she felt this, Monica couldn't hold back anymore. As Dana tongued her, she pressed Monica's clit with her fingers, and Monica exploded. The sensations grabbed a hold of her body, causing her to pulse and shake...and scream. "OH GOD! I'm coming Dana. I'm Coming....Oh.....Aaaaaahhhhh...." 

When Monica finally let go of the bedspread, which she'd been clutching, Dana sat up and made her way back up so that she was face to face with her lover. Leaning down, she kissed Monica's lips for the first time that night. Monica just melted, still recovering from her intense orgasm. 

After a few minutes, Monica squeezed Dana tightly. "God...that was amazing Dana. That was...wow... wonderful..." She was still breathing hard. 

Dana just lay there, her own clit still throbbing. "See...I told you I was a quick learner." 

"No kidding...I think I'm still shaking." 

"I know I'm still throbbing..." 

Monica dipped her hand down to caress Dana's slick folds. Dana was right...her clit was engorged with blood and screaming for attention. "How about I give you another lesson?" Dana just let her head fall back as Monica moved down. 

"Ah...Monica...oh! That feels so good...but don't think I'm through with you yet..." 

It was definitely going to be a very...busy weekend. 

  * End NC-17 *-*-* 



* * *

**DAY ONE**  
Monday 6:15 am 

The smell of coffee flooded Dana Scully's senses as she forced herself to wake up. 'Ugh...Monday morning...I hate Mondays.' Dragging herself into the bathroom for a quick shower, she came out feeling quite refreshed. She walked into the kitchen and came up behind Monica, slipping her arms around her waist. She kissed the back of her neck. 

Monica's stomach fluttered like it did every time she felt Dana's touch. "Good Morning Sleepyhead." 

Dana loved the feeling of their bodies pressed together. "Good Morning. How are you always so damn cheerful in the morning?" 

"Well," Monica spun around, "It's hard not to be cheerful when I wake up to the breathtaking Dana Scully." She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Plus, the mind-blowing sex we had last night...well, all weekend...probably helps as well..." 

Dana kissed her back, lingering slightly longer this time. Pulling away, she eyed the omelets warily. "What is wrong with those omelets?" She raised an eyebrow. 

"Haven't you ever had egg-white omelets before?" When Dana shook her head she handed her a plate. "Well, try it, they're good. Plus, they're much healthier for you." 

The women sat down and ate silently, reading the newspaper. When they were finished, Monica sighed. "I'd better leave. I have to run home to get all my stuff before work." 

Dana walked over and touched a finger to Monica's lips before kissing her. "I'll see you later then." 

After Monica left, Dana went to clean the kitchen and her thoughts wandered. 

'Okay...this was our third weekend together. Our second weekend as lovers.' The first weekend they'd kissed, but nothing more. It had driven her crazy all week. 'If you'd have told me four weeks ago that I would be Monica Reyes' lover, I'd have told you that you were nuts... 

But here we are. Where's here, though? I know my heart races anytime I'm with her. Whenever we're apart I miss her; I can't stop thinking about her. She's so caring, so gentle...and God, the sex...I have never been this satisfied in my life. Don't get me wrong, I've had good sex with men before, but with Monica...with her it's earth-shaking. 

But, despite all this, I don't know where WE are. I can't imagine, right now, living without her. But, it's scary to look too far into the future. And the L-O-V-E word hasn't entered the picture...yet. God, last night I was so close, so close to saying it, telling her I love her, after she'd made me come for the third glorious time that night and was holding me in her arms...but I didn't want to turn it into a cheap word flung around with sex. 

I just wish...I wish I knew exactly how she feels about us right now. Maybe we should talk, discuss this straight out. Maybe...' 

Snapping momentarily out of her ruminations, Dana sighed and got dressed for work. 

'It's time to have my place swept again for bugs...we never found out who sent that email, and we never heard from the person again...I still cringe thinking about someone watching Monica and I...God, if that ever got out at the bureau...we'd both be finished. What would we do...what would I do if faced with a choice, us, or the FBI?' 

Suddenly the phone rang, interrupting Dana's thoughts. "Scully." 

"Hey Agent Scully." Dogget was at work early, like usual. 

"Hey Dogget, is something wrong?" 

"I just wanted to let you know we've got a new case." 

"We?" Dana was no longer part of the X-Files; she worked with them sometimes, but not on a regular basis. 

"Yeah, it's a kidnapping case. Skinner wants all three of us on it. Apparently one of the victims is the 19 year old daughter of one of Skinner's close friends." 

"Oh Boy...I'll be in A-S-A-P." She hung up the phone and grabbed her briefcase, already knowing it would be a long week. 

'And it's only Monday...' 

Monica and John sat outside Skinner's office, waiting to be briefed fully on the case. Right as Skinner told Kimberly to let them in, Dana rushed into the office. 

"Hey Dana," Monica waved. "You're just on time." They walked into Skinner's office. Seeing the tired look on their boss' face, all three agents knew it was a bad one. 

"Thank you for coming in quickly agents. I've asked you in on this case, frankly, because I need results." He handed Dogget the case file, "There were two individuals, Casey Levin and Andrea Jones. They left a club about 10:30 Friday night and haven't been seen since. Once witness claims to have seen the two pulled into a car; the details are in the report. Police were first notified Saturday morning and the FBI was called this morning. Andrea Jones' father, Jacob, is my best friend from high school and the CEO of Diamond Corps, the plastics company. So..." 

Dana finished Skinner's thought, "You really need this one to end neatly." Skinner nodded. 

"I took the liberty of booking your flight to Sacramento; it leaves at noon. You'll have one layover at the Chicago Airport, only half an hour. Also, I've booked you two rooms at Motel 8, it's fairly close to the area of town you'll be working in. " He stood up, signaling the agents that they were dismissed. "Keep me updated on this case. You'll want to start by re-interviewing the witness and the people who may have seen them at the club." 

Dogget stood up, "Okay Sir. Thank you for the briefing." He waited for the women to leave in front of him. "We'll call you tonight." 

Outside of the office the agents stared at each other and Dogget sighed. "Well, we all need to go to home and pack. Skinner booked us the motel rooms for a week, who knows know long we'll actually be staying. I'll, uh, meet you two at the airport at, oh, ten o'clock. It'll give us two hours for check-in at the airport. Should be enough time." At that, Dogget handed the women their own tickets. 

"Okay John, we'll see you at ten." Monica turned to Dana. "Shall we take the same car? We live close enough, there's no reason to have to pay for three cars at airport parking." Dana nodded. "Great, you can leave your car here then." They found Monica's car and headed toward her place first. 

In the car, Dana looked at her hands, fidgeting. Monica looked over. "What's wrong?" 

"This is the first case we've worked together since..." 

"Since we became lovers." 

"Yeah, and we'll be sharing a hotel room, but..." 

"I know Dana, Hands off while we're on a case." She reached over and touched Dana's hand. "I know...don't worry, I wouldn't put John in that situation. Hotel walls are so thin..." Her mind drifted to Dana's vocal expressions during their lovemaking and she almost giggled. "Even if they weren't thin he'd still hear you." 

Dana laughed and smacked Monica's arm. "You're not so quiet yourself." 

They settled into a comfortable silence and make their way to their respective places. Finally at five after ten they met John in the main area of the airport. John waved and grimaced. "Time to go through airport security...This is always fun." 

Monica and Dana trailed John, lugging their suitcases. At the metal detector Dana put her keys, necklace, and gun in the tray after showing the guards her FBI badge. Holding her breath, she stepped through. 

_Beep, Beep, Beep_ "Damn," she swore under her breath. These days the metal detectors are so much more sensitive. She turned to the guard. "I have a shard of metal in the back of my neck," she pointed to it. The guard waved his wand over her neck and it did in fact beep. After waving the wand over the rest of her, he let her through. Monica caught up a minute later. 

"What was that about?" Unlike John, Monica hadn't read through all the old X-Files cases. 

Dana shook her head. "Ask me some other time...it's a long, complicated story." Monica accepted the answer and just kept walking. 

Miraculously all three agents got seats together on the plane. Even if they hadn't, the plane was only half-full. As they took off, Dana grasped the arms of the seat tightly. 'I hate planes...I hate take-off and landings especially...breathe, breathe...' To her surprise, Monica reached over and took her hand, smiling. Relaxing, Dana squeezed back. 'This is better...'   
  


* * *

1 hour later 

Monica glanced over at Dana. She'd fallen asleep, leaning straight back into the seat. 'Dana looks so young when she's asleep. Worry-free...I wish she were like this all the time.' Prying her hand from Dana's, she took a drink from her water. Glancing over, she saw that John was watching her. She smiled at him. "Hi." 

John's face softened. "How're you two doing?" Monica ran her finger over Dana's cheek. 

"We're doing okay..." 

"Do you love her?" 

Monica tilted her head and didn't say anything. 

"You should tell her, Monica." 

"I don't want to scare her away...this is all so new to her...I would die if she were frightened and left." 

"Do you think she loves you too?" 

Monica ran her eyes over Dana's sleeping form. "I can only hope." 

John watched as Monica watched Dana. "Tell her..." Monica didn't answer and he left it at that, burying himself in the case-files. 

Five Hours Later 

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for flying Northwest Airlines. You may now unbuckle your seatbelts and exit the plane. It is 3:45 Local time, and the current temperature is 65 degrees, partly-cloudy." 

"I hate crowds." John grumbled as they made their way to the luggage area and then the car-rental place. "Airports are always swarming with people..." Right as he said that someone rushed by him, bumping him into Monica. "See! Jerk..." he muttered. Monica and Dana laughed, and he tried to scowl at them, but he ended up laughing too. "It's gonna be dangerous having you both on the case..." He shook his head. 

Once they got out to the rental car John turned to his coworkers. "So, to the local FBI-Headquarters?" Monica and Dana nodded and they were on their way. 

John Dogget walked quickly into the building, ready to get going. he needed the address of the witness to the kidnapping, which, for some reason wasn't in his file. Walking up to the nearest desk he flashed his badge. "John Dogget, DC office. Who can I talk to for info on the missing persons case, uh, a Casey Levin and Andrea Jones..." The agent he'd approached studied his badge with a great lack of interest. After a second he pointed toward the first closed office. 

"SAC Woolcot has that one." 

John knocked on the office door and went in when a voice boomed out "Come in!" SAC Woolcot was a very large man. If John guessed right, he probably had a rather nasty temper and blood pressure problems. Flashing his ID, he stood by the man's desk. 

"I'm Special Agent John Dogget, from DC. I'm here on the missing-persons case, sent by AD Skinner." 

Woolcot thought for a second then nodded in recognition. "Yes, I remember, what can I do for you Agent Dogget? You don't need any extra men right now, do you?" 

"My file is missing the address of the witness...We need it so that we can go talk to him ourselves." 

Woolcot made a noise, Dogget guessed in affirmation that he had the address. Right as he started flipping through his files, the phone rang. 

"This is Woolcot...yes, I was handling that case...What!? Okay, thanks for the info. I'll pass it on to the Agents from DC here to investigate." At that, Dogget's eyebrow shot up. 

Woolcot hung up the phone and turned to Dogget. "Well, it looks like your case just got interesting. It's now a murder investigation. Both missing persons have been found dead." He scrawled down an address. "They're at this park." Dogget took the new info and rushed outside. 

Dana and Monica, who'd been waiting by the car looked up when John came running out. "What is it?" Monica stepped forward. 

John sighed. "Well, Scully, looks like you've got two autopsies to do. Our missing persons have been found dead." They all just looked at each other for a second. "Monica and I will drop you off at the morgue before we go see the crime scene. Apparently the bodies have already been taken there."   
  


* * *

10:30 pm 

Monica and John sat on her bed eating pizza and going over notes when Dana came through the door. Her clothes were rumpled and she looked dead tired. Monica wanted to just go over and pull her into her arms, but John was there...and it was hands off. So, she just patted the bed next to her. 

"So..." Dogget offered Dana some pizza. "What did you find?" 

In between bites Dana explained how the autopsies had gone. "Well, I managed to get both autopsies done rather quickly because the cases are fairly simple. They died of stab wounds. Each victim was stabbed four times, the last a wound to the heart that probably caused them to bleed out in minutes. I ran a tox screen, which I should get back sometime tomorrow, but I don't expect anything to show up. How about you guys?" 

"Hmm...we had a rather strange day. Everything was normal at first. We looked over the crime scene...it was obvious that the bodies were dumped there. We interviewed a few people, none of whom were any help, and then we re-interviewed the witness from the club, whose story hasn't changed at all. But then, as we left the last person's home, a lady approached us. She said that she had "seen" the crimes in her head. I talked to Woolcot after getting the lady's information and he says that this person, Jennifer Shira, is just a nutcase. Monica here seems to believe that she's a bit of a psychic." 

Dana's eyebrow peaked and Dogget shrugged. "Either way we don't have anything to help us catch this guy, unless you found something..." Dana shook her head and the three finished their dinner. 

"God, I'm exhausted." Dana sighed, rubbing her lower back. "I hate doing two autopsies in a row..." 

Dogget looked at his watch. "Plus it's about 1:45 am our time...I'm going to bed. I'll see you ladies in the morning." 

Once John left, Monica and Dana changed into pajamas. Looking at the two double beds, Dana climbed in one and smiled. "C'mon, I want you next to me. We just can't do anything." Monica pulled back the covers and slipped in bed, pulling Dana close. Within minutes they were both asleep. 

DAY TWO Tuesday Morning, 8:30 am 

Monica sat up and shook Dana's shoulder after slamming the alarm off. "Hey Dana, it's time to get up." Dana pried open her eyes and rolled over. 

"Must we...I was sleeping so nicely..." 

Monica leaned over. "Yes...we HAVE to get up now. It's 8:30. We need time to shower and eat before heading out for the day." 

"uugh..." 

"You are so NOT a morning person..." 

"I can't help it. You are a morning person. I'm not...so sue me." Dana sat up. "Do you want the shower first?" Monica shook her head. 

"No, you can have it first. I'll make us some coffee." She watched as Dana padded off into the bathroom. Right as the bathroom door closed John knocked on the connecting door. 

"Can I come in?" 

Monica opened the door. "Good morning John." 

John heard the shower running and guessed Dana was in there. Scanning the room, he noticed that only one bed had been slept in. 'Hmm...Can't blame them.' 

"Morning Monica." He sat down as she started the coffee machine. "Where do you think we should start today?" 

"Well, Dana's going to need to run by the morgue to pick up tox-screen results. We might as well do that first. Then I think we should talk some more to Miss Shira." 

"The 'Psychic'?" 

"John..." 

"Sorry, I can't help feel she's some old nutcase who is just looking for attention." 

"Let's wait and see what Dana thinks of her." 

Half an hour later everyone was finished showering, eating, and had consumed some caffeine. The car ride to the Morgue was quiet, and Dana came out shaking her head. "Sorry guys, just as I expected, nothing strange on the tox-screen." 

"It's off to see Miss Shira then." 

Monica rang the doorbell to 124 S. Bluebird Ct. After a moment, Miss Shira opened the door. Her hair was all over...it was very frizzy and completely gray. "Miss Shira, sorry to drop by unannounced, but we hoped we could talk with you some more today." 

"Oh, come in, come in. It's no problem. I was just getting ready to read a book." 

Dana looked at John, with her look of skepticism, and he just shrugged back. They all stepped in and Monica reintroduced her and Dogget. "In case you forgot, I'm Agent Reyes, this is Agent Dogget, and Agent Scully, over here, wasn't with us when we first spoke with you yesterday." Miss Shira nodded and shook Dana's hand. 

"Pleased to meet you. Please, you should all sit down. Come into the living room." They walked into the simply furnished living room and sat down on her florally patterned couches. "What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" 

"Well," Monica cleared her throat. "We wanted to clarify what exactly you have, um, seen in regard to the murders." 

"Well, I was sleeping a few nights ago, the night it happened, and I woke up with the strangest feeling. I knew it was the feeling I get before I see a vision, so I just sat there. Sure enough, in another minute, I saw, in my mind, a young man and woman forced into a dark car. Inside the car a man, maybe 30 or 35 years old, with blond hair and blue eyes tied up the two young people. He took them to this...warehouse or some sort of large building and left them there for a few hours. Then he came back and...and killed them, stabbed them, three, maybe four times each. It was awful." Dana was about to say something when Dogget's cell phone rang. He muttered an apology and stepped out of the room to answer it. Miss Shira looked up. "I think there was someone else taken, another couple. From the same place where the other two were dumped after being killed. I saw it this morning, in my head." 

Dogget popped back in the room. "Uh, I hate to interrupt, but we need to go. There's been another kidnapping." Both Monica and Dana snapped around to stare at Miss Shira. Dogget just stood there, looking confused. "Um, we will probably get back to you soon Miss Shira, so please stay in town so we can reach you." The agents all got up and walked outside. "What was that about?" John asked. 

Monica almost smirked. "Miss Shira informed us that she believed another kidnapping had taken place, from the same place where the first two bodies had been dumped." John looked at the notepad he held in his hands. 

"Well, either she really is psychic or she's an accomplice to the murder, because Nathan Webster and Elizabeth Thompson were abducted last night after a baseball game in the park where the first two victims had been dumped. They are 18 and 19, respectively, and the kids' parents contacted police after they didn't come home." 

After combing the crime scene for any evidence, the three agents went to interview the victims' parents. To save time, they split up. Monica and Dana went to interview the girl's parents, and John went to talk to Nathan's parents. Walking up to the house, Dana turned to Monica. "I hate doing this, talking to parents whose kids may be dead...you can see it in their eyes, despair." Monica didn't say anything, but rang the doorbell. A distraught looking woman answered the door. 

"Mrs. Thompson?" Monica asked. The woman nodded. 

"Yes." 

"I'm Agent Reyes and this is Agent Scully, we're here to investigate your daughter's disappearance." Mrs. Thompson opened the door and motioned for them to come in. From the look of things, Monica would be doing most of the talking, so Dana pulled out her notepad. 

After everyone was seated, Monica smiled gently. "I'm really sorry about what's happened, and we're going to do our best to get your daughter back unharmed. But, we need to know some things." After waiting a second, she began. "Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt your daughter, has she made anyone mad recently?" 

"No...no one. Everyone liked Liz...she was nice to everyone." 

"Have you seen anyone around your house recently, maybe within the past week who seemed like he or she didn't belong?" 

"No." 

"Is there any chance that Elizabeth and Nathan may have gone away together, maybe with some friends or something?" 

"No! She would never do that. She's almost done with her senior year in high school...she's so hoping on being accepted to an Ivy League school. That would jeopardize her plans...she would never run away." 

"Has your daughter been exhibiting any strange behavior lately?" 

"No, she's been just fine." 

Monica glanced at Dana asking silently if there was anything else. Both women stood up and Monica handed Mrs. Thompson a business card. "That's all the questions we have for now, but if you remember anything, my cell phone number is on the card." Mrs. Thompson let them out, and looked up with teary eyes. 

"Do you really think my daughter will be found alive?" 

Monica touched her arm. "I don't know, Mrs. Thompson. We're trying our best." 

In the car, Dana sighed. "I don't have a good feeling about this one, Monica. There's virtually no evidence. We don't know who took these people, why they were taken, or how long we have until they will be killed." 

"I'm going to call John, see if he's done talking to Nathan's parents." Monica pulled out her cell phone and waited to be connected. 

"John Dogget here." 

"Hey John, it's me." 

"What's up? Are you finished with you interview?" 

"Yeah, and I got nothing. You?" 

"I just finished...nothing here, either. I think we need to go visit the coaches from the baseball game last night. I have their addresses here." 

"Why don't you give Dana and I one address, and you can check out the other one." 

"Okay. You can visit Charles Carlinson. He lives at 2242 E. Queens dr. I think it's closer to you than me." 

Monica already had the address pinpointed on her PDA. "Yeah, it's not far. I'll call you when we're finished." 

Dana and Monica sat in yet another living room, asking more questions. "So, Mr. Carlinson, do you know either Elizabeth or Nathan?" This time Dana was doing the questioning. 

"Yeah, I know them both. Last year Nathan's brother was on my team, and they came to many of the games together." 

"Did you see anyone at the game who looked like they didn't belong?" 

"No, but it's hard to tell. I was so focused on the game that I probably didn't notice much around me." 

"Did you see anything after the game? Did Elizabeth and Nathan hang around at all?" 

"Yeah, they hung around awhile, talking to me." 

"Did you notice when they'd gone?" 

"Yeah, actually, it was kind of strange. We'd been talking, and they decided to go get a soda from the machines that are by the bathrooms. They walked over that way and then they didn't come back. I saw a van pull in the parking lot a little earlier, right after the game was finished. I didn't pay much attention to it, but come to think of it, it pulled away just after they went to get their soda...That was probably about 10:30 pm, or so." 

"Why didn't you notify someone when they didn't come back right away?" 

"Well, they were planning on walking home. I figured that they'd left, or maybe they were making out somewhere...I mean, they are teenagers, Agent Scully...I sure hope they're found. I'd feel awfully bad if something happened to either of them." 

"We're trying our best. You didn't see anyone in the van?" 

"Nope, unfortunately." 

"Can you give us a description of the vehicle." 

"Well, it was dark, but I think it was a dark color, maybe black or dark blue or dark green. It wasn't in an area with a lot of lights, so..." 

"Do you know what kind of van it was?" 

"Yeah, it was a Dodge Caravan, early to mid-90s model. I know because I used to own one myself." 

"No license plate number?" 

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't get that." 

"Well, at least we have something to go on. I think that's all the questions we have for right now. Here's my business card. Call my cell phone number if you can think of anything else." 

"Okay." 

"Thank you for your time Mr. Carlinson." 

Outside Dana let out a breath of frustration. "See...no good leads, no real evidence. It's like we just have to wait for the killer to slip up. Which means we're probably going to find another pair of dead bodies before we can catch him." 

"We do have one good lead." 

"The car? Hardly. There's probably a million vehicles that match our description. At least it matches the description of the car the witness gave after the first kidnapping." 

"No, not the car, the description of the suspect, from Jennifer Shira." 

Dana looked at Monica. "Monica...you can't be serious." 

"Dana...after all you've seen on the X-Files, why can't you believe that this woman has powers." 

"In my experience, people who claim to have inside knowledge of a crime are more likely to be perpetrators than psychics." 

"Dana...it's the only possible lead we've got. What if...what if the description she gives leads us to the killer? Prevents another death?" 

"What if it just leads us nowhere? On a chicken hunt? Honestly Monica..." The women stood there, staring at each other, not sure of what to do. Then Dana's mind flashed back to several of her past cases. Luther Lee Boggs, Clyde Bruckman...what if this lady was like them? "Okay Monica, we might as well give it a shot. I don't think we should go out and send this man's face in an APB, however. Skinner would ream us out for going by the word of a self-proclaimed psychic." 

Monica broke out into a grin. "Let me call the station, send someone to Jennifer Shira's house to sketch a composite drawing of her suspect." A minute later, she got off the phone. "Someone's going out. The detective I spoke to said that they've been canvassing the neighborhood around the park where the kids were kidnapped, no one has seen anything in regard to the bodies being dumped or the kids being kidnapped." 

"Hmm...it's what, noon? Let's take a break for lunch." 

"Sounds good to me. You wanna call Dogget, have him meet us somewhere?" 

"Yeah, hold on." Dana dialed Dogget's number. "Hey John, it's me...No, no news. However, Monica and I were just about to go to lunch. Do you want to join us? Where? The Deli on 24th street...sounds good. Let's see...give us about half an hour to get there...okay, bye." She turned back to Monica. "Okay, we're going to eat at the deli on 24th and Archer Street. John will meet us there." 

"Great, let's go."   
  


* * *

8:30 pm  
Motel 8 

Dana fell onto the bed. "I am so sick of hearing the words 'No, I'm sorry'...'No, I didn't see anything'...uugh! It makes me want to scream. No one saw anything, it seems like." They had spent the remainder of the day after lunch talking to people who had been at the park the day of the second kidnapping, mostly baseball players and their families. Of course, no one had any good information. 

Monica walked out of the bathroom, where she'd been brushing her teeth. "Well, at least we got that sketch from Jennifer Shira." 

"A lot of good that does us...we can't even say the person's our suspect..." 

Monica sighed and sat down beside Dana. "I know...it's frustrating. But something's got to give on this case. I have a feeling it'll happen soon." 

"You have a feeling, huh?" 

"Yeah..." 

Dana sat up and leaned into Monica, who was propped up against the headboard of the bed. Monica kissed her head, inhaling her scent. Then, she put her hands on Dana's shoulders. "Hmm...you're so tense, Dana." 

"It's nothing...I get this way sometimes, on cases." 

"It's not good for your muscles to be this tense." 

"Mmmm..." Dana's eyes were drifting shut. She really was tired. But then they popped back open when Monica began running her hands over her neck and upper back. "Monica..." 

"Shh...I'm just giving you a massage, I want you to relax. You're way too wound up." Monica dug her thumbs into Dana's back muscles, working on one knot at a time. Meanwhile, Dana just sat there, basking in Monica's touch. 

"That feels so good...oh!" Monica had hit a particularly sore spot. 

"Sorry..." 

"That's okay, just go a little bit softer." 

After a few more minutes, Dana ended up lying on her stomach on the bed, allowing Monica more leverage. "Dana, take your shirt off." 

"Monica..." 

"Dana, just let me do this for you. Really, I just want to make you feel better." 

"Okay..." She quickly pulled the shirt off. Monica undid her bra catch, but just moved the strap to the side. 

"See, now I can do this without any impediments." She began again, this time lower on Dana's back. "How does this feel?" 

"Mmm...I could fall asleep like this." 

Monica's hands drifted all over the skin in front of her, working on a knot here and there. Soon, she was just touching Dana to touch her. Then, she leaned over and kissed the back of her neck...then her shoulders, then the area over her tattoo... 

"Monica?" Dana sighed. This felt so good, but it was wrong. They were on a case. "Monica? I thought we agreed, no messing around while on a case." 

Monica grinned. "Messing around? Who is messing around? I'm just giving you a massage." 

"Yeah..." Dana's voice was muffled by the bedspread. "How many massages have you gotten that come with kisses?" 

"This is a special massage. I'm trying to get you to relax." 

"I think I'm past the point of relaxation. Generally, being kissed by your lover does not cause a person to relax." 

They both chuckled and Monica ran her hands over Dana's back again. "Okay, okay. Why don't you get up and we can go to bed." 

Quickly both women stripped and put on their pajamas, then climbed into bed. This time they didn't even think twice about climbing in together. Monica lay with her stomach against Dana's back; they were spooned together. Under the covers they were so warm, so comfortable. "Goodnight Dana." 

Dana kissed Monica's hand, which had found it's way to her cheek. "Night Monica."   
  


* * *

**DAY THREE**  
5:45 am 

"Monica, Dana!" John stood by the connecting door between his room and Monica and Dana's room. He pounded on the door. "Monica!" 

Monica's eyes flew open, along with Dana's. "Hmm? What?" They were both confused. Then they heard John again. Monica sat up. "Come in!" 

John rushed into the room. "Sorry, I didn't just want to barge in or anything..." He swallowed at the sight of Monica and Dana in bed together. 

Monica wiped the sleep from her eyes and looked at the clock. "Good God, John. It's only 5:45 in the morning. What's wrong?" While she was saying this, Dana sat up, rubbing her own eyes. 

"Bad news, we've got two more bodies. Elizabeth and Nathan have turned up dead. They were found at 4:00 this morning, outside of a bowling alley by a worker at the 7-11 next door who'd gone outside for a smoke." 

Both Dana and Monica sighed. Dana spoke up. "Are they done with the crime scene yet?" 

"Yeah, the forensics team has already gone over the crime scene, now they need you to take a look at the bodies. They should be arriving at the morgue in about fifteen minutes." By now Dana was standing up, grabbing her clothes from the closet. 

"Give me fifteen minutes to take a quick shower and then we can leave." 

Monica stood up. "Does this mean we get to do more interviews?" 

"Yep. We have to take the statement from the 7-11 worker, and canvass the housing area around the scene." 

"Joy...has anyone new been turned up as missing?" 

"Nope, not yet, but police are keeping an ear out for anything." 

"Can I use the shower in your room?" She knew John showered at night. 

"Go ahead, I showered last night." 

Twenty minutes later, they were all in the car, headed for the morgue. As Dana got out, she looked at Monica and John. "I'll give you a call if I get anything. It should take me two to three hours per autopsy...as long as there is nothing too complicated involved." 

"Okay..." John waved. "We'll call you too, if we get anything." 

In the morgue, Dana got set up and adjusted the microphone. "This is Special Agent Dana Scully, I'll be performing the autopsy. I will begin with an external examination of one Elizabeth Ann Thompson. She weighs 125 pounds, and is 63.5 inches in height. Based on the state of the body, death was approximately ten to fifteen hours ago." Looking at the victim's skin, Dana noted what looked like rope marks around the wrists and ankles, and some bruising on the arms. "It looks like the victim was bound at the hands and feet, and there are what look like defensive bruises on the forearms." Then there was the stab wounds, four, just like the two previous victims. "There are four stab wounds to the victim's chest, one directly over the heart. These are the probable cause of death, at this point in the autopsy. There are a few contusions to the victim's face, as well as several slight bruises on the legs." 

Dana took a few minutes to photograph all she'd just gone over on the tape. Then, she took a tool to scrape underneath the fingernails. Right as she grabbed the hand, she noticed something...a fingerprint, in the victim's fingernail polish. This was it! A break...Scanning the other nails, she found two more partial prints on the other hand. 

After doing what was necessary to retrieve the print from the nails, Dana called John. 

"Hello?" 

"John!" 

"Dana, do you have something?" 

"We're in luck, we may have something. The victim had a fresh coat of nail polish on when she was abducted, and someone's fingerprints are on three of her nails." 

"That's great!" 

"Well, I just sent them to Headquarters by computer, and they're running them through the database now. I told them to call you with the results. However, these may not be anything, so let's not get too excited...they could be her boyfriend's prints, for all we know." 

"I know..." 

"Anyways, I've got to go. I'm not finished yet, I just wanted to let you guys know what was going on." 

"Great, I'll call you as soon as I hear from headquarters." 

"Okay, bye." 

"Bye." 

Hanging up the phone, Dana turned back to the body in front of her. 'Well, time to get busy...'   
  


* * *

1:30 pm 

Dana stood up, glancing at her finished autopsy notes. 'So much for Monica's relaxing massage last night. Four and a half hours on my feet, hunched over these bodies combined with two hours of paperwork probably undid all of her work...' Walking outside, she saw John and Monica pull up. Jumping in the car, she collapsed. "It feels good to sit down." Seeing John's look of excitement, she raised an eyebrow. "What?" 

"I just got a call, we have a suspect." Dana's heart jumped. 

"Who?" 

"His name is Jonathan Pratt. He was institutionalized two years ago for killing his brother. He was declared mentally unfit to undergo a trial. He escaped a month ago from the institution, which was in Marin County, halfway between here and San Francisco. His prints match two of the three from our victim. The other print did belong to Nathan." 

Dana couldn't believe their luck. This was the break they'd needed. "Wow...where are we going now?" 

"We are going to the local police headquarters to pick up the photo of Pratt that someone's supposed to fax us." 

"Great." 

Twenty minutes later, John was standing by the fax machine as the fax came in. Monica was standing next to him, and Dana was talking with one of the local policemen. When Monica saw the picture of Jonathan Pratt, she turned pale. John looked up. "What's wrong, Monica?" 

"Dana," Monica called out. "Dana, come here." Dana looked up and walked over. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" 

Dana glanced at the picture John was holding and did a double take. "Oh my God..." 

The picture matched Jennifer Shira's description of the suspect she'd seen in her mind almost exactly. 

Monica swallowed. "John, Miss Shira, that was the man she described to us, the man she saw in her vision." John just shook his head. 

"Well, right now we have bigger things to worry about than this local psychic. We need to put out an APB on this suspect, he needs to be caught before he kidnaps anyone else." He handed the paper to the nearest detective. "Could you put this out on a local APB?" 

The detective nodded, then looked at the paper. "Wait a minute, Agent Dogget?" 

John turned back around. "Yeah?" 

"I recognize this guy." 

John nearly jumped. "What?" 

"When I was out canvassing the neighborhood by the park, I swear this was one of the people I talked to." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Dead sure, sir. I remember because this guy was shaky and sweaty, like he was sick or something. I asked him if he was alright and he said that he had the flu, and that had just gotten back from seeing the doctor." 

"My God...can you remember what house?" 

"Yeah, it was in one of the nicer neighborhoods, with the really spaced out homes." 

"Could you lead us there, Detective?" 

"Sure." 

John turned to Monica and Dana. "Looks like we're ready to roll." The agents plus the police officer went outside and got in their car. Fifteen minutes later they were pulling up outside of a very big, very old house. There wasn't another house within a quarter of a mile of it. This was, indeed, a nice neighborhood. 

John turned to the detective. "You come with me, we'll go to the front door. Monica, Dana, you two go to the back in case he tries to escape." 

After everyone was in position, John rang the doorbell. Their suspect came to the door. "Are you Jonathan Pratt?" Pratt's eyes got big as he realized he'd been discovered. He started to back away. John stepped forward. "Mr. Pratt, we just need you to come with us and answer some questions about some incidents that have happened recently." Pratt kept backing up. John hadn't come inside yet, there was still a screen door between him and Pratt. 

All of a sudden Pratt slammed the door and ran to the back of the house. John called out to Monica and Dana, "He's headed your way!" Then he and the detective charged inside. Monica and Dana pulled their weapons and opened the back door. They heard footsteps go down a flight of stairs, and they found a set of stairs heading to the basement level. Monica spoke softly. 

"Dana, I saw a cellar door outside, I'm willing to bet he's going to try and get out that way. Why don't you go down this way, and I'll go to the other entrance. He'll be trapped. John will be here in a few seconds, so it should be okay." Dana just nodded and proceeded down the stairs. 

Walking softly, she was glad to see that a light was on already. 'I hate walking around in the dark!' Holding her gun steady, she stepped off the last step and looked around. It was a fairly simple basement, but there was a wall running down the middle of it, for most of the way. He was probably on the other side. "Jonathan Pratt, this is the FBI. Come out from where you are hiding with your hands up. This can be resolved peacefully if you just come with us for some questioning. If you continue to resist be may be forced to use our weapons." 

Carefully, Dana made her way to the edge of the wall. She could see Monica's shadow on the doors leading to the outside. They were situated on the wall opposite her, on the part that wasn't obstructed by the wall in the middle of the basement. 

Feeling confidant that she and Monica had him cornered, she turned the corner. The other side of the basement was dark, and she didn't see anything for a second. But then something moved, and she pointed her weapon. "Freeze, FBI." 

Monica had finally gotten the old rusted lock off of the doors out back and stepped inside of the cellar. She heard Dana's firm voice cry out, "Freeze, FBI." But then she saw the figure in the dark corner, and she saw a glint of metal. 'Oh my God, he has a gun...hehasagunhehasagun...' She was in no position to shoot, so she called out to Dana while rushing down the steps. "Dana!" 

Then there was a gunshot. It was earsplitting, and without a thought, Monica fired back. In just a split second's time, both Dana and their suspect fell. "Dana!" Time seemed to stop. There was blood, so much blood. It was all over. There was Dana's blood, and there was Pratt's blood. 

Monica pulled out her cell phone and hit 911. "I have an Agent Down! We have an Agent and a suspect both with gunshot wounds. We need an ambulance to...to 1232 E. Princeton Street. Now!" She held onto the phone, listening to the dispatcher give emergency directions. John and the Detective came barreling down the basement stairs, and he knelt by Dana. 

"Oh Lord! Oh God..." He pulled off his coat and pressed it against the wound in Dana's abdomen that was spurting out blood. Monica was still clutching the phone, immobilized. John looked and saw the suspect was also bleeding, unconscious. "Detective! Take the towel over there, by the wall. Press it against Pratt's wound. Try and control the bleeding." He looked up and saw Monica. "Monica!" She didn't hear him. "MONICA!" He shouted. She jumped. "Go out front, wait for the paramedics." She scurried upstairs, eyes wide with fear. 

John looked down and brushed the hair out of Dana's face. Her eyes were fluttering. "Dana! Dana, try and stay awake. You're going to be okay. You'll be fine. Just hang in here, okay. We need you to fight this. Monica needs you to fight this. The ambulance is coming." She just laid there, fighting to breathe. A few minutes later two ambulances pulled up and the paramedics rushed downstairs. They pulled both of the wounded onto stretchers and raced them, very carefully, to the waiting vehicles. Monica turned to John with fear in her eyes. 

He waved toward Dana. "Go with her Monica. I'll go with Pratt." Monica didn't need to be told twice. John turned to the detective. "Can you drive our vehicle to the hospital?" The Detective nodded and John tossed him the keys. 

On the way to the hospital, Monica sat next to Dana. She wanted to hold her hand, but the paramedic was busy setting up IVs and trying to stop the bleeding. After a few minutes the paramedic turned to her. "You her partner?" 

Monica looked at Dana. "Sort of..." She didn't say anything more, but she did finally take Dana's hand when the paramedic was done doing all she could. "Dana..." she whispered. "Dana, hang in here, okay? You're not allowed to die on me. Please, Dana." 

Before Monica realized it, they were pulling up to the hospital and Dana was wrenched from her grasp. She walked up to John, dazed. 

John was setting up the needed security for Jonathan Pratt. After signing various papers, he saw Monica approach him. She was shaking. 

He walked over and pulled her into his arms. "Monica...she's going to be alright." 

Monica almost started crying, but she couldn't. "What if she isn't? What if she...what if she dies?" John felt Monica collapse, but he caught her and guided her to the chairs in the waiting room. A few minutes later a nurse led them up to the waiting room for surgery. By then a host of FBI agents had shown up, most of them to make sure that their suspect didn't disappear. From the back of the crowd a familiar face appeared. It was Skinner. 

John felt that Monica could sit alone for a few minutes, so he got up and walked over. Skinner looked very upset. 

"Sir, she's in surgery." 

"What happened, Agent Dogget?" 

"We had the suspect caught in his house. A local detective and I went upstairs to try and find him. Agents Scully and Reyes went downstairs. Apparently he had a gun hidden down there...He shot Agent Scully, then Agent Reyes took him down." 

Skinner covered his eyes with his hand, for a moment. "How's Dana?" 

"I, I don't know. She was taken up to surgery about a half an hour ago, along with Pratt." 

Skinner glanced over and saw Monica hunched over in her chair, still not moving. It was as if she were unable to react, unable to do anything. In a quieter voice he asked John, "And How's Agent Reyes?" 

John glanced at the woman in question and shook his head. "She's...she's not doing too good right now...I think she's in shock." 

Skinner sighed and went to go talk to some of the other agents. John sat back down with Monica. She leaned against him silently. John squeezed her shoulders. "She's going to make it, Monica. Dana's strong. She'll pull though. I know it." 

Three and a half Hours Later 

A doctor walked out into the waiting room and went over to John. "Are you here for Dana Scully?" Monica jumped at Dana's name. 

"Yeah, we are. Is she okay?" 

The doctor smiled slightly. "We just finished up with the surgery. She's in serious condition, but it looks like, barring any complications, she's going to pull through. The bullet went in at a funny angle, it nicked the top of her right kidney and the bottom of her right lung. The shooter must have been near the ground, angling up. Luckily the lung didn't collapse. We were able to repair most of the damage." Monica sank into the chair with relief. 

Skinner saw the doctor talking to John and Monica and came over, catching enough to know that Dana was okay. He turned to the Doctor. "I'm Assistant Director Walter Skinner. What is the status of our suspect?" 

The doctor turned. "I wasn't the one doing surgery, but I believe Mr. Pratt was declared dead ten minutes ago. In a few minutes Dr. Stevenson should come out and let you know more information about that." Skinner closed his eyes and the Doctor left. 

John sat down and put his arm around Monica. "See, I told you she would be okay." Monica just cried from the relief of knowing Dana made it through the surgery. 

After Skinner talked to the other doctor about Pratt, he walked back over to John. "Agent Dogget, here's your keys. The detective who drove your car here bumped into me and asked me to give them to you. He had to go back to the station with one of his colleagues." Glancing at Monica, he rubbed his forehead again. "You two need to go back to the hotel and get some sleep." When Monica tried to protest he shook his head. "Dana will be fine. You probably won't even be allowed to see her for a few hours anyways, and by then visiting hours will be over. And Agent Reyes..." He paused. "You need to clean yourself up. You do too Dogget." 

The two agents looked down at themselves and realized that they were spattered with the blood of both Dana and Pratt. Monica had to swallow to keep from getting sick. With a shaky voice, Monica relented. "Okay, sir." John nodded at the AD and placed his hand on Monica's back. 

"C'mon Monica, let's go to the motel." 

Monica walked into her room and immediately stripped off all her clothes. She walked into the bathroom and stepped in the shower, turning the water on steaming hot. She scrubbed and scrubbed, even after all the blood was washed off of her skin. She didn't even realize it when she began sobbing. It was as if the events of the day had just now hit her. She turned off the shower, wrapped herself in her robe and curled up on the bed, still crying. 

'Oh God! I...I almost lost Dana today. She could've died. I couldn't live without her...There was so much blood and she was so pale and I didn't know what to do and I just froze and thank God John was there because I just froze and couldn't move. I let her get shot it's all my fault myfault myfault myfault...What if she had died...I couldn't live...Oh GOD! I've never told her that I love her...I love her... loveherloveherloveherloveher...I Have to tell her, have to see her tomorrow...I have to tell her that I love her and I can't live without her and I don't want to live without her and I was so scared today...scared that I would lose her. I love her. I love Dana Scully.'   
  


* * *

At 9:30 John knocked quietly on Monica's door. She didn't answer, so he let himself in. She was curled up in a fetal position, asleep on her bed in nothing but a robe. He could tell she had been crying. Quietly he grabbed a nightgown out of Monica's bag and woke her up. She slowly opened her eyes. "Hmmm....?" She was out of it. 

He stroked the side of her face and helped her sit up. "Hey Monica...You don't want to sleep like that. C'mon. Sit up." She sleepily sat up and scrunched her face. "Okay, here." He handed her the nightgown. "Why don't you put this on, it'll be much more comfortable." She nodded and started to slip off her robe. He spun around, realizing she probably didn't have anything on under the robe. After a minute she stopped moving and John slowly turned back around. She had the nightgown on and the robe was lying on the bed. He tossed the robe onto a chair and folded down the covers. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he guided Monica into the bed and covered her up. Her eyes closed again almost right away. 

Before leaving the room, John bent down and kissed Monica's cheek softly. "You'll be okay, Monica. You'll both make it past this. Trust me." Then he stood up and went into his own room, ready to sleep.   
  


* * *

**DAY 4**  
8:00 am 

'Uuuhh...My head hurts and I feel like my mouth is stuffed with cotton...what's going on?' Dana tried to open her eyes, but it was difficult. 

Monica saw Dana's eyes flutter, and she jumped up. "Dana? Hey Dana, are you awake? Can you hear me?" She squeezed Dana's hand harder. After another moment, Dana's eyes opened halfway. Monica beamed. "Dana!" She leaned down and kissed Dana's cheek. 

Dana grimaced. "Water..." Monica grabbed a cup off of the bed table and held it up for her to take a sip from. "What-what happened?" 

Monica brushed away a tear that had fallen from her eye and entwined her fingers with Dana's. "You were shot. That Son of a Bitch Pratt shot you." Dana's eyes slipped shut again. 

"Mmmm...I remember now. I remember you and John, telling me to hang on. You shot Pratt. Did He..." 

Monica shook her head. "He died in surgery last night." 

A moment of silence passed over the room and Monica began to sob, lying her head down on the side of the bed. Dana's eyes opened a little wider, concerned. 

"Monica?" 

"Oh Dana...I was so scared. I was so scared that you were going to die and leave me. I-I don't think I could live without you now." 

Dana ran her hand through Monica's hair. "Monica..." 

Monica sat up and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I let you down. You got shot because I wasn't fast enough." 

"No, it wasn't your fault. I will not blame you for this." 

"I hope...I hope this doesn't scare you away, but I need to tell you something. I realized last night that I'd never told you, and that scared me." 

"What is it?" 

"It's, well, I love you Dana. You've captured my heart. I'm all yours now. I don't think I could, or would want to live without you anymore." Monica kissed Dana's fingers, still entwined in hers. 

Dana lay there for a moment, then a tear slipped down her cheek. "I-I love you too Monica." Monica looked up and couldn't help but smile softly. 

"Can I give you a real kiss?" 

"Yes, please do." 

She stood up and looked down at Dana, who looked so small in the hospital bed. Then she leaned over and pressed her lips to Dana's, very gently. Pulling away, she wiped away Dana's tear. "God I love you so much." She saw that Dana's eyes were starting to droop again, she was tired. "You need to sleep. Go back to sleep." 

"Don't leave me..." Dana looked up with bright blue eyes. 

"Never...I will never leave you." With that confirmation, Dana's eyes slipped closed and soon her breathing evened out. She was asleep.   
  


* * *

11:45 am 

"Thank you." Dana watched the doctor leave her room. She was now upgraded from serious to fair condition. It appeared that she was going to be okay. Monica, who'd stood up next to her when the doctor left, stretched. "I'm going to grab a bite to eat, is that okay?" 

"Yeah, go. Go eat. You don't need to be stuck by me twenty-four hours a day..." Monica had been so sweet, holding Dana's hand, helping her with her water, talking with her. Once, Dana had woken up to find her asleep, head on her arm. She'd looked so peaceful, so beautiful. 

Monica left, murmuring a promise of returning soon. A minute later, Skinner knocked. Dana motioned for him to come in. It was hard not to smile at the sight of the near grin plastered all over his face. 

"Dana...I'm so glad to see you awake. You had us all worried." 

"Ah, you know me. I just bounce right back. It's not like I haven't been shot in the abdomen before..." Skinner shook his head, remembering the case in which her temporary partner had shot her. 

"Yeah, well, we were still all worried. Especially Agent Reyes." 

Dana's eyes fell. "Well, I work closely with Agent Reyes, we're friends." 

Skinner shifted. "Did you know she's asked for two weeks of vacation time?" Dana's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything. "She said she needed some time to unwind after this case, and I believe that." 

"Sir..." Just how much does Skinner know, Dana wondered. 

"Agent Scully...Dana...I received a rather disturbing email a few weeks ago. I wanted to just dismiss it as a hoax, but it's not, is it? You two are...lovers." 

Dana's heart leapt into her throat. 'Oh God! He knows! What am I going to do. What are WE going to do! Oh my Lord...he saw the email.' 

Skinner stepped forward and sat down. "I, uh, was able to track down the people responsible for the email. It was a 'friend' of our dearly departed Krycek. They'd been ordered to do surveillance on everyone involved with the X-Files after you became pregnant. After Krycek...they were told to end their operation, but this friend was paid to keep up the operations by people interested in getting dirt on you. This friend told me that he never sent the pictures to the people paying him. I watched him burn the original tape, and I have his word that there are no copies." 

"Sir...how...?" 

"It's best not to ask questions, Dana. I can assure you that the tape and the images on it are destroyed." 

She just sat there, stunned, staring at the man in front of her. Panic began to rise again when she thought of what might happen if word got out at the bureau of her and Monica, and of what Skinner was going to do. 

Skinner took Dana's hand. "Dana, for years I watched you and Mulder form an amazing relationship. I honestly think that you had...have a connection unlike any other. However, when I watch you and Agent Reyes, I see something else. There's something there that wasn't there with you and Mulder. I don't care about the fact that you are both women. I don't care about any of that. And...your secret is safe with me. I know for a fact that Agent Dogget and I are the only ones who received those pictures. As far as I know, no one else in the bureau suspects anything. Just, do me a favor, don't let it interfere with your work." 

Dana was having trouble coming up with something to say. She felt relief and joy wash over her when she realized that Skinner truly was watching out for her. "...Thank you..." 

Skinner squeezed her hand. "You don't need to thank me, Dana. I consider you my friend, and I hope you see me that way too. Friends help each other, friends keep secrets for each other." Dana smiled, feeling her eyes fill up with tears. 

No more words passed between the two, but Dana felt a surge of emotion between them. Quietly, Skinner let go of her hand and walked out of the room. 

When Monica came back from lunch, she found a pensive Dana sitting in bed. Sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, she wrapped an arm around Dana very carefully. "What are you thinking about?" 

"About how lucky I am to have all the people I do in my life." Monica tilted her head. 

"People like...?" 

"People like you, and John, and...Skinner." 

"Skinner?" 

"He knows, Monica." 

Monica tensed up. "How?" 

"He received the same email as John. He sat on it. But then he investigated, by himself. We don't need to worry, the tape has been destroyed." 

"How do we know?" 

"Because Skinner said so." 

"It's that simple?" 

"Yeah, it is. He...he said that he doesn't care that we're together. Our secret is safe with him." 

"Oh Dana..." 

"Yeah, I feel better now. I, I'm glad that Skinner knows. He really is a friend." 

Monica held Dana tighter. "We're going to be okay, aren't we?" 

"Yeah, we will. I'm going to be okay. You're going to be okay. With your vacation and my sick leave, we'll have a chance to work on us." 

Dana glanced at Monica's face and saw a coloring of guilt. "Yeah, I know that you're taking two weeks vacation. Why didn't you tell me?" 

"I was going to. Really. I just...just didn't want to seem too needy, too bothersome right now." 

"It's okay for you to need me Monica. I need you...I love you." Dana kissed Monica's hand, which had been stroking her cheek. 

"How did you find out?" 

"Skinner told me." 

"Oh...of course." They chuckled and Monica shifted, to get more comfortable. "When do you think you'll be released?" 

"Oh, probably by late tomorrow, or the day after, as long as nothing happens. Which...nothing will happen, so..." 

"Good, then I can take care of you at home, away from prying eyes." 

"You know I won't be up for anything for a little while, right?" Their sex life had just taken off, but it looked like it would be on hold for awhile. 

"Yeah, I know Dana. But I want to be able to hold you, kiss you, take care of you in ways that I can't do here. It's too risky." 

"Oh, like lying next to me, cradling me in my hospital bed isn't suspicious." 

"I'll get down if I see anyone coming..." 

Dana just smiled. "I want to go home too...believe me." They just lay on the bed together for awhile, enjoying the contact. However, after too long, Monica disentangled herself and stood up. Leaning down, she kissed Dana's forehead. 

"I'm going to go to the office and finish filling out my request for vacation time. I'll see you in a little while, okay?" Dana was nearly asleep; she just nodded and closed her eyes. She knew that everything would be okay. She and Monica would be okay; they could get through anything together. They were in love. 

End   
  


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More Notes: Well...what do you think? (If you're still here reading...) I live for feedback...don't be afraid to send comments, constructive criticism, praise, (but no flames) to 

My personal archive is at http://www.angelfire.com/ms/xaccess 

-Tiffany 

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If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Tiffany


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